DES MOINES  Opponents of an April 2009 Iowa Supreme Court ruling that made Iowa the first state in the Midwest to sanction same-sex marriage celebrated on Wednesday after the ouster of three Iowa Supreme Court justices involved in the ruling.

Bob Vander Plaats, lead spokesman for the pro-removal Iowa For Freedom campaign, hailed the outcome as a victory against a court that overstepped its bounds, and added he believes the vote will ripple beyond Iowa as a sign to other jurists who rule in gay-marriage cases.

"It's the people rising up, and having a voice for freedom, and holding an out-of-control court in check" Vander Plaats said. "I think we sent Iowa a message, but also sent the country a message: The power is still inherent in the people."

About 54% of voters chose "No" Tuesday, removing Chief Justice Marsha Ternus and Justices David Baker and Michael Streit in what in other years had been a routine retention election.

The vote followed months of campaigning and more than $1 million spent on television and radio ads in a battle launched after the court declared state law violated the constitutional equal-protection rights of gay and lesbian couples who wished to marry.

It was the first time an Iowa Supreme Court justice has not been retained since 1962, when the merit selection and retention system was adopted.

University of Iowa law professor Todd Pettys, a constitutional scholar, said the ouster effort could have exactly the opposite effect Vander Plaats expects.

"I think these three ousted justices are going to be regarded in judicial circles as heroes," Pettys said. "I think other justices are going to look at these three individuals and say, 'Here are three individuals who took a very controversial stand, because it's what they thought the law required. They stuck with what the law required, even when they knew they were going to be coming up for election.' "

Kevin Cathcart, executive director of gay rights group Lambda Legal, which backed the six couples in the case, called the campaign "a wake-up call to future voters who must resist attempts to politicize the courts."

"Three skilled jurists lost their jobs, but the court's ruling in the case allowing same-sex couples to marry is still the law of the land, enshrined in the Iowa Constitution," Cathcart said.

Supreme Court justices serve staggered, eight-year terms. The next justice on the ballot, David Wiggins, is not up for retention until 2012. Three other justices — Mark Cady, Daryl Hech and Brent Appel — will not face voters until 2016.

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